KATHARINE ALLEN IS AN INTERPRETER AND ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE AMERICAN TRASLATOR ASSOCIATION.
DURING THE 51ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN DENVER, IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING NOTE-TAKING SKILLS IN
COMMUNITY INTERPRETING WAS MENTIONED, SO THAT WE’RE NOT INTERRUPTING SPEAKERS ALL THE TIME FOR
SHORT CONSECUTIVE INTERPRETATION.
COMMUNITY INTERPRETING TRAINING PROGRAMS ARE TEACHING WOULD-BE INTERPRETERS TO INTERRUPT PEOPLE ALL THE
TIME. SOMETIMES THE MEDICAL PROVIDER IS GIVING A LONG EXPLANATION TO THE PATIENT ABOUT HIS/HER CONDITION AND
THEIR PLANS FOR PATIENT RECOVERY. IF INTERRUPTED THEY MIGHT LOSE TRACK OF WHAT THEY’RE SAYING, ETC.
EXAMPLE : IN COURT, MANY INTERPRETERS ARE NOW USING DIGITAL RECORDERS IN THE LONG CONSECUTIVE MODE, THEN
PROVIDING SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION
HOWEVER, RECORDERS SOMETIMES FAIL FOR EXAMPLE WITH TECHNICAL PROBLEMS, ETC
BUT, LONG CONSECUTIVE INTERPRETING WITH NOTE-TAKING MAY NOT BE THE BEST MODEL ALL THE TIME :
1. THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL SPEECH AND THE INTERPRETED RENDITION IS TOO LONG
2. PARALINGUISTIC ELEMENTS (NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION, INTONATION, EMOTIONAL OUTBURSTS, ETC) ARE LOST.
